Charles Yelverton O'Connor is a legendary figure in early colonial civil engineering. But the fame of his great works, particularly the Goldfields Pipeline Scheme, which brought water 560 kilometres to the desert Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia, has almost been matched by that of his enigmatic death.
O'Connor's work, now revered and celebrated, was misunderstood and undervalued by by many of his contemporaries. Wounding criticism of the Goldfields Pipeline and libellous newspaper reporting aimed directly at O'Connor contributed much to the final crisis of this proud, deep-thinking, private man.
This new biography by Tony Evans, introduces fresh research material in examining material in examining O'Connor's character, influences and background. Evans confirms his subject as a tragic genius whose works changed the face and fortunes of both New Zealand and Australia in the second half of the nineteenth century.
Contents:
List of Illustrations
Conversions Table
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Part 1: Ireland, 1843-1865
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
Part 2: New Zealand, 1865-1891
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
Part 3: Australia, 1891-1902
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 14
- Chapter 15
- Chapter 16
- Chapter 17
- Chapter 18
- Chapter 19
- Chapter 20
- Chapter 21
- Chapter 22
- Chapter 23
- Chapter 24
Epilogue
Abbreviations Used in Notes and Bibliography
Notes
Bibliography
Index
